Live bait vending machine



Oct. 5, 1965 R. A. sTEHLlNG LIVE BAIT VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1961 fab/mrd A. smh/ing l INVENTOR.

| l L l Oct. 5, 1965 R. A. sTEHLlNG LIVE BAIT VENDING MACHINE s snets-sneet 2 F1ed-Dec. 20, 1961 Ric/lard A Sieh/177g 1N VEN TOR.

9 BY @Mmmm @Hmm Oct. 5, 1965 Filed Dec. 20. 1961 Fig. A4

LIVE BAIT VENDING MACHINE R. A. STEHLING 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. i

BY vwl www Wm United States harem t 3,209,884 LIVE BAIT VENDING MACHINE Richard A. Stehling, Fredericksburg, Tex. Filed Dec. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 160,824 6 Claims. (Cl. 194-48) This invention relates 4to a novel and useful `bait vending machine and more specifically to a cabinet type of vending machine having an open top and liquid reservoir defining means disposed therein. The liquid reservoir defining means is adapted to receive large quantities of water and suitable means may be provided for agitating and aerating the water. A partition wall defining means is disposed over an upper portion of the reservoir delining ymeans and defines a plurality of storage slots which are each communicated with a discharge slot terminating at one end in a discharge opening formed in the partition wall defining means.

A plurality of live bait containers are disposed within the housing and each includes guide means supporting the containers from the partition wall defining means and movable longitudinally in said storage and delivery slots. Each of the containers is removable through the discharge opening and a pair of retaining doors are hingedly supported from the partition Wall defining means between closed aligned positions with their free edges spaced apart defining a short slot -therebetween closing the discharge opening and with the short slot aligned with the discharge end of the delivery slot and open 4positions with their free edges swung away from the interior of vthe housing. The guide means carried by each of the containers is engagea-ble with the free edges of the doors when they are in closed position for the support of the containers thereby. Additionally, coin controlled latch means is carried by the housing and enfgageable with at least one of the doors .f-or retaining the doors in the closed position.

By providing a live bait vending machine minnows and other live bait may be dispensed in apertured containers to fishermen as quantities of live ybait are desired. In addition, inasmuch as the vending machine is provided with water agitating and aerating means, the live bait in the vending machine may be kept living for relatively long periods of time in order that there will be no ICES of live bait.

The main object of this invention is to provide a live bait vending machine from which fishermen and the like may obtain 'live bait.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a live bait vending machine which will be capable of keeping bait alive for relatively long periods of time and which is constructed in a manner whereby the owner or operator of one of the vending machines may readily position fresh bait in the machine.

A .further object of this invention is to provide a live bait vending machine provided with means assuring that only one container of live bait may be dispensed at a time.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a live bait vending machine in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accomice panying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of the live bait vending machine of the inst-ant invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a .plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and showing the manner in which the retaining doors may be piv-oted to the open position .to enable a container of live bait to be dispensed from the vending machine;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged `fragmentary sectional view 'similar to that of FIGURE 3 but showing the retaining doors in the closed position;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the portion of the device illustrated in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated Vby the section line 6 6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional -view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7-7 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated 'by the section line 8-8 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the live bait vending machine of the instant invention. The vending machine 10 includes a generally rectangular and open top housing referred to in general by the reference numeral 12 and an upper generally horizont-ally disposed partition wall defining means generally referred to 'by the reference numeral 14 is secured across the upper open end of the housing 12.

The upper partition wall defining means 14 includes a longitudinal ygenerally inverted U-shaped support bar 16 and a plurality of partial transversely extending and longitudinally spaced partition defining panels 18 and .18 `which are fixed .at their rear edges 20 to the rear wall (not shown) of the housing 12 and at their forward ends to the support bar 16 in any convenient manner.

The partition wall defining means 14 also includes a forward longitudinally extending panel 22 and it will be noted that a plurality of storage slots 24 are formed between adiacent panels 1-8. In addition, it will be noted `that the center panel 18 is of a greater width than the panels 18 disposed on opposite sides thereof and that the forward edge of the center panel 18 has a delivery or discharge slot 26 formed therein. A header slot 28 is defined between the rear edge of the front longitudinally extending panel 22 and the forward ends of the panels 18 and 18 and communicates each of the storage channels 24 with the delivery channel 26. In addition, it will be noted that the rear end of the delivery channel 26 `terminates in an enlarged discharge opening 30. A pair of retaining doors 32 and 34 are pivotally secured at their remote edge portions to opposite sides of the discharge opening 30 by means of hinge assemblies 36 and it will be noted that the free confronting edge portions of the retaining doors 32 and 34 are spaced apart and define a short slot 38.

It is to be understood that the hou-sing 12 defines an upwardly opening iiuid receptacle and that water is disposed therein. A water agitating pump generally referred to by the reference numeral 40 is disposed within the housing 12 and may be provided with any suitable source ings it will ybe noted that a plurality of containers are provided and generally referred to by the reference numerals 42. Each of the containers 42 includes an upper wall 44 and a lower wall 46. A generally sleevelike screen body portion generally referred to by the reference numeral 48 is provided and the upper and lower walls 44 and 46 are secured to t-he upper and lower ends of the body portion 48.

An inverted generally U-shaped bail-type handle assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 50 is secured to each of the upper walls 44 and each of the handles 50 includes a pair of generally vertically disposed legs 52 and 54 which are interconnected at their upper ends by means of a curved bight portion 56. The upper ends of the legs 52 and 54 are received through the corresponding slots formed in the upper partition wall defining means 14 and a pair of washer-like abutments 58 are secured to the legs 52 and 54 of each handle 50 and overlie the adjacent surfaces of the upper partition wall dening means 14 defining the slots 24, 26 and 28 as well as the upper surfaces of the free edge portions of the retaining doors 32 and 34 when a container 42 is disposed in regi-stry with the discharge opening 30.

From FIGURE 3 of the drawings it will be noted that a pair of depending bafiie Walls 60 and 62 are secured to the upper partition wall defining means 14 by means of fasteners 64 which are also utilized to secure the hinge assemblies 36 to the partition Wall defining means 14 and that the baffle walls or panels 60 and 62 generally parallel t-he discharge slot 26 and the short slot 38 and are positioned on opposite sides of the discharge opening 30 in order to insure that only one container 42 may be positioned in registry with the discharge opening 30 at one time. There is also provided a rear wall 63 which closes the discharge opening 30 at the rear.

It will also ybe noted that a gate member 65 depends downwardly from one side of the retaining door 32 and comprises gate means for preventing a second container 42 from being mo-ved into registry with the discharge opening 30 upon the removal of one container 42 upwardly and outwardly of the discharge opening 30. A keeper assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 66 depends downwardly from the other side of the door 32 and generally parallels the gate member 65. A connecting strap 68 is pivotally secured at opposite ends between the retaining door 34 and the keeper assembly 66. Further, a downwardly inclined coin chute generally referred to by the reference numeral 70 is supported from the partition wall defining means 14 by means of the center panel 18 and it will be noted that the upper end of the coin chute 70 opens upwardly through the center panel 18 as at 72. The

keeper assembly 66 has an abutment arm generally referred to by the reference numeral 74 pivotally secured to its lower end by means of a pivot fastener 76 and it will be noted that the abutment arm 74 has a setscrew 7S threadedly engaged therewith and slidably received through the arcuate slot 80 formed in the keeper assembly 66. From FIGURE 4 of the drawings it may be seen that a coin 82 dropped into the chute 70 will abut the free end of the abutment arm 74 to prevent the `coin '82 from falling into the coin receptacle box generally referred to by the reference numeral 84 which is carried by the lower end of the chute 7 0. A pivoted latch member in the form of a bell crank generally referred to by the reference numeral 86 is provided and includes a first arm v88 having a hook 90 formed on its free end and a second arm 92 receivable through the slot 94 formed in the lower end of t-he chute 70. The bell crank 86 is pivotally secured to the lower end of the chute 70 by means of a pivot pin 96 and it may be seen from FIG- URE 4 of the drawings that the hook 90 is engaged with the keeper hook 9,8 carried by the keeper assembly 66 before the coin 82 is dropped in the chute 70. However, as the coin 82 is dropped in the chute 70, it will abut the arm 92 of the latch member 86 and pivot the latch mem-` ber 86 to the position illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 4 of the drawings thus releasing the hook 90 from engagement with the keeper assembly 66. Then, the handle 50 of the container 42 disposed. in registry with the discharge opening 30 may be grasped and lifted in order to pull that container 42 from within the housing 12.

From FIGURES 1 and 7 of the drawings it may be seen that there is provided a pair of doors 100 and 102 Whose spaced free ends define one terminal end portion of the slot 28. These doors 100 and 102 are normally covered by a lock cover (not shown) of the housing 12 and may be utilized by a person servicing the vending machine 10 to place an additional supply of filled containers 42 within the housing 12. The doors 100 and 102 are pivotally secured to the upper partition wall defining means 14 by means of hinge assemblies 104 and 106 respectively and are provided with knobs 108 by which the doors 100 and 102 may be readily opened.

With attention again invited to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be noted that the abutment arm 74 may be adjusted by means of the setscrew 78 in the arcuate slot to adapt the coin control mechanism composed of the keeper assembly 66 and the coin chute 70 and related parts lto be operative for dispensing the containers 42 singly from the vending machine 10 upon the placement of coins of various denominations within th chute 70.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A live bait vending machine comprising a housing, partition wall defining means n said housing defining a plurality of storage slots each communicated with a discharge slot terminating at one end in a4 discharge opening formed in said partition wall defining means, a plurality of live bait containers in said housing each including guide means supporting said containers from said partition wall defining means and movable longitudinally in said storage and discharge slots,` said con tainers each being removable through said discharge opening, a pair of retaining doors mounted in said discharge opening hingedly supported from said partition wall defining means between closed aligned positions with their free edges spaced apart dening a short slot therebetween aligned with said one end of said discharge slot and open positions with their free edges swung away from the interior of said housing, said guide means engageable with the free edges of said doors when in the closed position for support of said containers thereby, coin controlled latch means carried by said housing and engageable with at least one of said doors for retaining the latter in the closed position, at least one of said doors including gate means disposed along the side edge thereof adjacent said discharge slot and projecting laterally from the side thereof facing inwardly of said housing, said gate means being disposed, when said last-mentioned door is closed, to the side of said discharge opening remote from the free edge of said last-mentioned one door, each of said containers being apertured, said housing being disposed upright and said partition wall defining means being disposed across the open top of said housing, each of said containers including an upstanding handle portion slidingly received through said slots and comprising said guide means, and abutment means carried by the portlon of each of said handle portions projecting 11pwa rdly` through said slots and engaging the portions of said partition wall defining means defining said storage and discharge slots and the free edge portions Qf Said QQIS.

defining said short slot, said handle portions each comprising inverted U-shaped bail-type handles including a pair of generally parallel legs, each of said legs having one of said abutment means thereon.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means interconnecting said doors for simultaneous movement between the open and closed positions thereof.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said interconnecting means is connected between the side edge portions of said doors remote from said discharge slot.

4. A live bait vending machine comprising a housing, partition wall defining means in said houisng dclining a plurality of storage slots each communicated with a discharge slot terminating at one end in a discharge opening formed in said partition wall defining means, a plurality 0f live bait containers in said housing each including guide means supporting said containers from said partition wall defining means and movable longitudinally in said storage and discharge slots, said containers each being removable through said discharge opening, a pair of retaining doors mounted in said discharge opening hingedly supported from said partition wall defining means between closed aligned positions with their free edges spaced apart defining a short slot therebetween aligned with said one end of said discharge slot and open positions with their free edges swung away from the interior of said housing, said guide means engageable with the free edges of said doors when in the closed position for support of said containers thereby, coin-controlled latch means carried by said housing and engageable with at least one of said doors for retaining the latter in the closed position, at least one of said doors including gate means disposed along the side edge thereof facing inwardly of said housing, said gate means being disposed, when said last-mentioned door is closed, to the side of said discharge opening remote from the free edge of said last-mentioned one door, said latch means including a coin chute and having a latch member engageable with a portion of the first-mentioned one door, said latch member having a portion disposed in registry with the interior of said chute for engagement by a coin falling down said chute to pivot said latch member out of engagement with said first-mentioned one door.

5. A live bait vending machine comprising a housing, partition wall dening means in said housing defining a plurality of storage slots each communicated with a discharge slot terminating at one end in a discharge opening formed in said partition wall delining means, a plurality of live bait containers in said housing each including guide means supporting said containers from said partition wall deiining means and movable longitudinally in said storage and discharge slots, said containers each being removable through said discharge opening, a pair of retaining doors hingedly supported from said partition wall dening means between closed aligned positions with their free edges spaced apart defining a short slot therebetween aligned with said one end of said discharge slot and open positions with their free edges swung away from the interior of said housing, said guide means engageable with the free edges of said doors when in the closed position for support of said containers thereby, coin controlled latch means carried by said housing and engageable with at least one of said doors for retaining the latter in the closed position, at least one of said doors including gate means disposed along the side edges thereof adjacent said discharge slot and projecting laterally from the side thereof facing inwardly of said housing, said gate means being disposed, when said lastmentioned door is closed, to the side of said discharge opening remote from the free edge of said last-mentioned one door, each of said containers being apertured, said housing being disposed upright and said partition wall defining means being disposed across the open top of said housing, each of said containers including an upstanding handle portion slidingly received through said slots and comprising said guide means, and abutment means carried by the portion of each-of said handle portions projecting upwardly through said slots and engaging the portions of said partition wall defining means deiining said storage and discharge slots and the free edge portions of said doors defining said short slot, and means interconnecting said doors for simultaneous move ment between the open and closed positions thereof, said handle means each comprising an inverted U-shaped bail-type handle including a pair of generally parallel depending legs, each of said legs having one of said abutment means thereon.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said latch means includes a coin chute and has a latch member engageable with a portion of the rst-mentioned one door, said latch member having a portion disposed in registry with the interior of said chute for engage-ment by a coin falling down said chute to pivot said latch member out of engagement with said first-mentioned one door.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,601,170 9/26 Gleason 194-51 X 1,696,795 12/28 Cutler 194-51 X 2,258,409 10/41 Cunningham 221--133 2,332,214 10/43 Forsthoefel et al. 221-133 2,753,078 7/56 Terhune 221--133 X 2,777,605 1/57 Watlington 221--133 2,860,444 11/58 McHugh 194-2 X 2,873,045 2/59 Rosa 221-133 2,908,105 `10/59 Rogers 194--2 X 2,920,735 1/60 Sims 194--79 2,940,574 6/60 Tebay 194--57 LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. KENNETH L. LEIMER, Examiner.` 

1. A LIVE BAIT VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING A HOUSING, PARTITION WALL DEFINING MEANS IN SAID HOUSING DEFINING A PLURALITY OF STORAGE SLOTS EACH COMMUNICATED WITH A DISCHARGE SLOT TERMINATING AT ONE END IN A DISCHARGE OPENING FORMED IN SAID PARTITION WALL DEFINING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF LIVE BAIT CONTAINERS IN SAID HOUSING EACH INCLUDING GUIDE MEANS SUPPORTING SAID CONTAINERS FROM SAID PARTITION WALL DEFINING MEANS AND MOVABLE LONGI TUDINALLY IN SAID STORAGE AND DISCHARGE SLOTS, SAID CONTAINERS EACH BEING REMOVABLE THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, PAIR OF RETAINING DOORS MOUNTED IN SAID DISCHARGE OPENING HINGEDLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID PARTITION WALL DEFINING MEANS BETWEEN CLOSED ALIGNED POSITIONS WITH THEIR FREE EDGES SPACED APART DEFINING A SHORT SLOT THEREBETWEEN ALIGNED WITH SAID ONE END OF SAID DISCHARGE SLOT AND OPEN POSITIONS WITH THEIR FREE EDGES SWUNG AWAY FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING, SAID GUIDE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FREE EDGES OF SAID DOORS WHEN IN THE CLOSED POSITION FOR SUPPORT OF SAID CONTAINERS THEREBY, COIN CONTROLLED LATCH MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE WITH AWT LEAST ONE OF SAID DOORS FOR RETAINING THE LATTER IN THE CLOSED POSITION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DOORS INCLUDING GATE MEANS DISPOSED ALONG THE SIDE EDGE THEREOF ADJACENT SAID DISCHARGE SLOT AND PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM THE SIDE THEREOF FACING INWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING, SAID GATE MEANS BEING DISPOSED, WHEN SAID LAST-MENTIONED DOOR IS CLOSED, TO THE SIDE OF SAID DISCHARGE OPENING REMOTE FROM THE FREE EDGE OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED ONE DOOR, EACH OF SAID C ONTAINERS BEING APETURED, SAID HOUSING BEING DISPOSED UPRIGHT AND SAID PARTITION WALL DEFINING MEANS BEING DISPOSED ACROSS THE OPEN TOP OF SAID HOUSING, EACH OF SAID CONTAINERS INCLUDING AN UPSTANDING HANDLE PORTION SLIDINGLY RECEIVED THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND COMPRISING SAID GUIDE MEANS, AND ABUTMENT MEANS CARRIED BY THE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID HANDLE PORTIONS PROJECTING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND ENGAGING THE PORTIONS OF SAID PARTITION WALL DEFINING MEANS DEFINING SAID STORAGE AND DISCHARGE SLOTS AND THE FREE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID DOORS DEFINING SAID SHORT SLOT, SAID HANDLE INCLUDING A PRISING INVERTED U-SHAPED BAIL-TYPE HANDLE INCLUDING A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL LEGS, EACH OF SAID LEGS HAVING ONE OF SAID ABUTMENT MEANS THEREON. 